Plumb rule and level.



PATBNTED FEB. 5, 1907.

W. DOWNS.

PLUME RULE LNE LEVEL.

"APPLICATION FILED SEPT.10, 1906.

TTORNE V5 To al@ when/t it may abn/cern.' i Be 1t known that I, WAYNE DOWNS, 'a citi- -zen of the United States, 'residing at Dallas,

UNITED4 STATES PATENT oEEioEQ WAYNE DOWNS, or DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOE or TWo-EETHS To SiLAs'E. l ADAMS, or DALLAS, TEXAS.

PLUME-HUILE AND LEV-EL.

in the countyl of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented anew and useful Plumb Rule and Level, `of which the following is a speciicaton:

' 'This invention relates to plumb rules and levels.

The objects of the invention are to iinrove and simplify the construction of such evices; furthermore, to increase their efiiv ciency in operation and. to decrease the expense attending their manufacture,

With the foregoing and other objects in "view, which Willappear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described` and claimed, it being understood that changes in the recise embodiment of invention heredes' j illustratedI in Like reference-numerals' indicate corre-4 in disc osed can be made Within the Sco e of the following claims Without departing om the spirit of the' invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. i' i' 1 Inthe accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a plumb rule and level con` "structed in accordance with the present in- ,g' ge'vention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view, in fi -side elevation, the outer and inner retaining rings beingpartly broken away. i Fig. 3 isa transverse section through the constructionl Fig. 2, and Fig. '4'i's a view showing' the-parts of the indicator in separated position.

ending .parts in they different figures' of the.

I. v rabbeted portion The reference-numeral 1 indicates a stock, which is 'formed through the centralportion. thereof with an opening 2, having'an inner 3 and an outer., 'rabbeted portion 4. .Fitted into the opening 2V is an annular collar 5, which is formed at lts outer ends With lugs or ears 6,' that are fitted into collar 5 is a vring the inner rabbeted portion 3 and 'are held thereinin kany suitable manner, such as means of the screws 7'. The ears 6 are of course bent into theinner rabbted ortion' 3 after the collar 5 'has been inserte into' theopening 2. Disposed at each-fend; of .the 8, which is approximately so asto produce-a Z-shaped in cross-section,

e ISpecification ofLetters Patent. i Appleman", siedi s'pamm 1o. 1906; serata. ssaeso.

d f l'the collar 5 and the angular. seat 10 be` fr.

digi a 'reduced ends 17 the pivot member of the indii"I -upon the pivot mem Patented Feb. 5, 1907'. 'A l seat 9 being iitted against the -outer en o:

adapted'to receive a transparent Wall or 1v1. The inner portion of the Z-ring 8 pre I' erably 1s graduated, as indicated at 12in-- Fig. y2, so that said graduations will be dis# posed behind thetransparent' Wall'il and Will be visible therethrough. f

For the purpose of holding each transpar ent Wall 11 Within the angular seat 10 of the Z-ring 8 and. for also holdin said Z-ring' against the outer end of the col ar 5 an inner retaining-ring 13 is employed. This ,inner retaining-ring, which preferabl i is formed'of rubber or similar material 'vv ch will not readily slip upon the surfaceof glass or metal, fits against the outer edge of the transparent' wall 1 1 and also against the outer portion of the Z-ring 8. The inner retaining-ringi 13 is held in position by means'of an outer retainf 7 5 ing-ring 14, which is fitted int-o the outer rabbeted portion 4 of the opening 2 and is held in position by means such as the Screws 15. It will be obvious that tliaouter retaining-ring 14 presses the inner retaining-ring 8o 13 securely against 'the trans arentwall V511, and Z-ring 8, the advantage o this'construc-f tion being that the inner retaining-ring pre-, vents any accidental rotation of either the Z-ring S' or the disk 11, so that When the' 85 graduations 12 of said Z-rin have been arranged inpro'per osition t e retaining-v ring 13 will prevent t iem from Working into a Wrong position, even when theplumb ruie and level receives rough treatment.

For the purpose of determining'the angle` which any given line occupies with res ect to. the perpendicular an indicator, Whic is in-' dicated generallyvby the reference-numeral 16 is mounted between. Ithe transparent Wallsll.' VAs Shown in Fig.' 4, the indicator `1 6 preferably consists of a pivotA member having reduced ends A1.7' adapted -to fit into depressions or sockets 18. In addition' to the catoris formed with an enlarged central Gpo/.rf f

'tion 19 and vnon-circular intermediate-pc'n-l tions 20, ,'which are 'adapted to receive the if lo'Wer ends21 of ouders-22 inpesition pose of holding. t ie hangers, each having a shank 23, an ailgillarly- Y bent upper end 24, and an upstanding Vperpair of angular seats-9 and 10, thehangula' 55f'- lo'hold the pointers 22 in upright position, so

as to coperate properly with the graduations 12 upon the Z-ring 8.

The plumb 'rule and level of the present invention is extremely strong, simple, durable,

A:5 and inexpensive in construction, as well as thoroughly vefficient in use. In assembling thedevice the Z-ring 8 can be rotated until the graduations 12 are in the desired position with respect to the indicator 16, after which zo by applying the retaining-rings 13 and 14 said Z-ring, to ether with the transparent wall 11, will be mly held in position against accidental movement. By forming the transparent walls 11 with the depressions 18to re- 2 5 ceive the reduced ends 1 7 of the pivot member of the indicator the construction of the device is greatly simplified, as it requires only the use of the transparent walls 11. Furtherl`rnore, the pivot-points of` the indicator 16 by. 3o reason of their direetccntact with the hard glass walls 11 permit the ready movement of the indicator and also serve to prevent the same from Wearing out the depressions 18.

-l/Vhat is claimed is-.

1. In a plumb rule and level the combination with a casing having transparent Walls and graduated seats therefor; of an angular pivot member having reduced ends bearing in the transparent Walls, pointers engaging 4o a'nd extending radially from the pivot member said pointers being rotatabletherewith, hangers non-rotatably mounted upon'V the pivot member for retaining the pointers thereon, said hangers being radially con- 45 nected to prevent, lateral movement of the pointers, and a Weight secured to the hangers.

2. A plumb rule and level having an aps proximately Z-shaped graduated: ring forming a pair of angular seats, a collar fitted into 5o one of said angular seats,a transparent Wall iitted into the other of said angular seats, a retaining-ringcontacting partially with said transparent Wall Aand partially With said graduated ring for holding the same in position, and an indicator having one of its pivotpoints supported by said transparent wall.

3. A plumb rule and level comprising a stock having Aan o ening extending vtherethrough and forme at each end With inner and outer rabbeted portions, a collar fitted into said opening and having lugs engaging said inner rabbeted portion, a Z-ring having a pair of angular seats, one of said angular seats being fitted against one end of said collar, a transparent wall fitted into the .other of saidangular seats, a resilient inner retaining-ring fitted against a portion of said Z-ring and a portion of said transparent Wall, and an O uterretaining-ringfitted againstl said inner retaining-ring for' holding said transparent Wall in the angular seat of said y Z-ring and for holding said Z- ring against the outer end of said collar. i

4. A plumb rule and level comprising al stock having an opening formed with inner and outer rabbeted portions, a collar fitted into said opening and having lugs engaging said inner rabbeted portion, a pair of Z-rings each having a pair of angular seats one of which is fitted against the adia'cent end of the collar, a transparent wall fitted into the other angular seat of each Z-ring', each transparent Wall having a depression in its inner ace, aninner retaining-ring fitted against each transparent wall and Z-ring, an outer retaining-ring fitted into the outer rabbeted portion for holding the inner retaining-ring in position, andan indicator consisting of a pivot member having reduced ends fittedv into thedepressions-in said transparent Walls, an enlarged central portion, non-circular intermediate portions, pointers engaging with termediate portionsfor holding said pointers in position, and Weights secured to said hangers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as in thepresence of two Witnesses.

' WAYNE DOWNS.

Witnesses: v

S. R.. ADAMS, i W. G. HENDERsoN.

said vnon circular intermediate portions, hangers engaged wlth said non-circular .1n-

.my ownl have hereto affixed my signature 

